Eighteen

"So, I've seen your gigantic ass house, which is more like a castle than a mansion." Shane chuckled. I smiled at him, almost shyly, brushing a hand through my natural black curls, pushing one lock behind my ear. "We've seen all the things you have, how you function on a day to day basis, but now let's get to the part everybody wants to know about." I nodded through my sips on the pale blue metal straw I had, drinking down my extra hot matcha green tea late with almond milk. I pulled away from the sweet drink and sat straight in the fancy, executive chair in my office. "Your son." he said. I nodded again. "And how he came into the world, 'cause you're really young. And you have a young son, so you must've been really, really young when you had him."

"I was." I admitted.

"And you've never revealed him to the world, why?" my red headed friend asked. I sighed.

"I don't know, to protect him, I guess." I stated. "I asked for this life, he didn't. He's just a sweet, gentle little boy who has had so many changes within the five years I had him."

"Just start from the begging." he gently pushed. I looked him in the eye, almost nervously. "James' father, who is he?" he asked, reaching over the oak desk for my hand. I gave it over willingly. "You've never revealed him to the world, either. Don't you think you should?"

"I guess." I sighed. "Well, we were young. Just before I came over here, so we were like, eighteen at the time." I started. Shane nodded, his jaw set as I began to speak.

"Our fathers had been friends, family, for a time. At one point, my father was his brother in law, 'cause he married his sister. But she died, and he married my mom. They had my two brothers, then me." I paused, sipping my drink. I held onto the gentle man's hand for support as I placed the drink down. "We were always close, the two families. Although they lived in France and I, Scotland, we still managed an amazing relationship. My son's father grew up with me. Every chance one of us got, we flew over to see each other and let our families grow. Or, we did." I sighed.

"I was twelve at the time, when my father died. He and my mother had never been a happily married couple. She had her issues, and he his. I remember that day like it was yesterday." I admitted softly. "They had been driving, us children in the back. Well, children." I made air quotes. "All of their offspring. Different mothers, different fathers, but brought together as family all the same. Seven brothers and one sister from father's side, two brothers from mother's side. Of course, I shared my two older brothers, three younger sisters. So, a big family." I paused. "A big funeral," I sighed, leaning my head back a little, to keep the tears at bay.

"What do you mean?" His voice was quiet. "You've never revealed your childhood to the world, I have no idea what you're gonna say."

I sighed loudly. "Mother and father had been arguing-" he cut me off.

"Mother and father?" he asked. "Why won't you call them mom and dad?" Shane asked me. I shrugged.

"Neither one was meant to be a parent. They regularly took vacations or trips and left all of us with nannies or the Valois, whenever they were around. We were never loved by them, there were no favourites between us. None carried any favour with them, anyway. It was like living with strangers that you answered to." I admitted, swallowing thickly. "We were all around the same age, my eldest brother, Adam, was only seventeen. The youngest was five, my full blooded sister. At least, my paternal relations were around my age. All of dad's sons, apart from my full blooded brothers, had been conceived, one after another after another, in double quick time." I clicked my fingers four times.

"They never loved each other, either. Mother too broken after Louis -her first husband whom died before she met my father- and father too distraught over Madeline -his first wife, the aunt to my son's father-" I clarified. "Gradually, they broke each other even further, then us." I shook my head, sighing loudly.